Staff

A team with years of fishing experience

From rivers to the sea our team of fly fishing experts have the expertise to help you with any of your fishing questions.

Ryan Smith

Guide and Avid's managing owner, Ryan Smith brings a background in biology, conservation and photography. Since he can remember, fly fishing and appreciating the outdoors has been a way of life.

When fishing our saltwater beaches, you will be instructed on how to increase distance and power in the wind, so you can reach our cruising sea-run quarry. On the river, you will find Ryan chasing trout and steelhead and searching for the next piece of holding water.

Growing up in Oregon and a few years in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming prepared him for our challenging Puget Sound fishing. Ryan is a certified casting instructor through the FFF.

Dave Jenkins

Dave Jenkins life has been fly fishing ever since he could remember. As a Colorado native, he grew up in Denver where he fished extensively across the Front Range. It was in Rocky Mountain National Park where he found his true home, love and passion as he explored the high country, fishing the small creeks and rivers in the pursuit of solitude, and the road less travelled. Dave moved to Gunnison, Colorado to attend Western State Colorado University and to explore the legendary waters of the Western Slope. While there, he discovered his calling to be a fly fishing guide, in order to serve as an ambassador for others who wanted to start their own journey into the sport. In the fall of 2014, he moved to Seattle.

Dave is constantly in the pursuit of new places, new fish, new sights, and new ideas. When he isn't on the river or at The Avid Angler, he is inevitably working hard at the vice tying new patterns and coming up with innovative ideas. Over the years Dave has had the privilege of fishing in Colorado, Minnesota, Montana, Wyoming, and now Washington. Dave is proud to be a member of the team at the Avid Angler. He is ready to be the best resource he can for others like him, on the hunt for new adventures and the next epic catch.

Mark Shimazu

Mark Shimazu is originally from Hawaii and has a degree in architecture from the University of Washington. He has spent his life chasing fish in the Northwest and beyond. Mark has been guiding for decades and focuses on float trips down the blue ribbon Yakima river just east of Seattle. Dry fly fishing is his forte and every guest gets a lesson in entomology and how to find feeding fish. When not in the shop, or on the water, you will find Mark tying flies, volunteering his time and helping train guides and staff.

Jacob Powell

Jacob Powell grew up fishing on the western slope of Colorado - learning to fly fish at a very young age. When Jacob moved to Gunnison, CO to attend college in 2010 he began fly fishing on a daily basis and honed his skills as an angler and fly tier. By studying environmental biology in college he was able to focus his interests at school by working on projects relating to entomology and aquatic biology. During the summers Jacob worked at a guest ranch as a fishing guide and helped the BLM survey nesting birds in western colorado. In 2015 after graduating with degrees in biology and mathematics Jacob moved to Seattle and has been working at the Avid Angler expanding his skills as a fly tier and beach angler.

Ryan White

Ryan White grew up fishing with his family on the Puget Sound rivers for steelhead, salmon and trout. After managing an Alaskan lodge for a five years in the 2000's, he is now a full time Washington State guide. The Yakima river is his bread and butter, but he is comfortable on the steelhead streams and Puget Sound beaches chasing steelhead and sea-run cutthroat. Permit fishing is his real passion, and has fished various locations in search of the elusive black tailed devil. Email us to book Ryan. trips@avidangler.com

Grover

In the summer of 2017, Grover, moved on to shop dog heaven. He was most comfortable when scaling a log jam or riding "shotgun" in the drift boat. For years you would find "G" working the shop searching customers pockets for treats or taking naps and dreaming of his next encounter with a squirrel or other woodland creature.

Where did they go?

Brita Fordice - Research and Development at Farbank (Sage, Rio, Redington)
Andrew Grillos - Mechanical engineer living in Bozeman, MT
John Paine - Advertising executive for Premier Media Group
Joel Oerter - Graduate from the UW Foster School of Business
Ben Waldschmidt - Returned to the Midwest, his stomping grounds